Media outlets constantly flash negative headlines. Everything is “Tragedy”, “Disaster”, and “Death”. In the midst of such turbulent times it’s easy to forget about the stories told in the theater that applaud the beauty of life and inspire the audience. The Guthries production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is nothing short of a celebration of love that was refreshing to eyes weary of disparity.
The theater was full of anticipation for this whimsical Shakespearean classic, a flowery lupinesque curtain framed the stage along with enormous flowers that hung from the ceiling ready to bloom. Royer Bockus, the actress who played Helena, unconventionally, broke the fourth wall to set the mood, and fortunately this method did not disappoint. She sang an original song to the audience with her guitar and spotlight, and then asked a random audience member, Kathy, how she met her husband Dick. The sweet story about their meeting at a party was the attention grabber, it was unexpectedly delightful and effective.
The show was full of musical performances, again a modern take done well. Those who sang, had gorgeous voices, with even the smaller roles having their moment in the spotlight. In an attempt to further connect the audience with this classic tale, there were candid jokes made as well. Notably when the two rivalring characters Demetrius and Lysander were fighting over Helena, Demetrius smashes Lysanders bag of funyuns out of rage. In many ways this production did well choosing to take on some modern approaches to Shakespeare, however at some points, it felt a little much.
After Helena left the stage the lights dimmed and at first glance, when Theseus and Hippolyta began their bickering, the costumes appeared traditionally resemblant of the Athenian tunics (dresses) and chitons (draping top), but at a closer glance Hippolyta waswearing folded cowboy boots. This pairing seemed odd as both styles don’t usually compliment each other, and a few minutes later Hermia and Lysander entered also wearing modern looking clothes. For the most part the whole cast, except for Theseus and Hippolyta were wearing modern outfits. Puck wore a light green suit with flowers attached, and Nick Bottom was wearing a bucket hat, striped shirt, and tennis shoes. These costumes were certainly well made, and in some ways gorgeous, especially Titania’s outfits, but they did not fit the whimsical atmosphere, and one could find themselves so focused on the costumes that they were not focusing on the story.
That being said, the acting was fantastic. For many, Shakespeare isn’t simple to understand, so having a lot of physicality as an actor is important. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comical show, and this cast really comprehended the story as a whole and put on a wonderful performance. The chemistry between the actors was also evident, every scene flowed naturally, and each character had their own distinct persona. Near the end of the show, when the Mechanicals are putting on their performance the story feels in sense already over as all conflicts are concluded and love wins. The six mechanicals, who put on a short play inside of the play did an exceptional job at keeping the energy lively the whole time.
There was no sense of boredom at any point, even at the very end Helena grabbed a scroll from one of the other actors and began singing again just as she did at the beginning of the show with her guitar. This time, it’s a song written during the duration of the play about how Kathy met her husband Dick, and the whole audience was adored. A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been done by many theaters in the country as it is a classic that most everyone has either heard, read in school, or absorbed on their own. The Guthrie theater overall did a fabulous retelling of this story in a unique interactive experience that brought audiences away from the daunting screen and into a lovely dream.
